In the June edition of Faith in Action:
🙏 Let the Light of Christ strengthen us in our trials and challenges
💡 DYK: We launched a new video series to share the stories of religious sisters in the diocese
🎙️ 800 years later, St. Francis continues to influence the Church
📚 A STEM teacher uses the power of failure to foster learning
💗 Nine religious sisters celebrated milestone anniversaries at this year's Sisters' Jubilee
❤️ Join us in praying a Novena to the Sacred Heart for our nation
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” These words from the Gospel of John offer a powerful reminder that no hardship, suffering, or uncertainty is greater than the love of Christ.
In this month’s Scripture & Reflection, Fr. Dubois shares how this message of hope has shaped his ministry as a hospital chaplain and how it can strengthen us in our own trials.
Every sister has a story. In our new video series, Pathways to Purpose, religious sisters from across the Diocese of Harrisburg share how they discovered God's call and the experiences that shaped their vocation.
Pathways to Purpose:
Pathways to Purpose:
- Features religious sisters serving throughout the Diocese of Harrisburg
- Shares personal stories of faith, discernment, and service
- Offers insights for those exploring their own vocation or relationship with God
- Highlights the many ways sisters serve the Church and local communities
- Reveals the unique personalities, talents, and experiences behind each vocation story
- Includes a new interview released each week on our YouTube channel
🎙️ The Year of St. Francis: How This Saint Continues to Make an Impact 800 Years Later
w/Fr. Michael Heine
We live in a time of constant noise. Constant consumption. Constant comparison. Most people are overwhelmed by information, pressured to perform, and stretched thin by busyness. Even spiritually, it can be easy to approach faith as just another thing to manage or optimize. And yet Saint Francis offers us something strikingly different.
In this episode, we chat with Father Michael Heine, the minister provincial of the Franciscan Friars Conventual of Our Lady of Angels in Maryland, to talk about how the spirit of St. Francis continues to shape the Church, challenge modern believers in deeply practical ways and why he continues to resonate with people who are searching for something deeper during this year of Saint Francis.
⚙️ 'I Hope Whatever You're Working On Fails the First Time' — The St. Theresa Teacher Changing How Kids Learn
Sara Rossman has a poster of Thomas Edison on her classroom wall and a simple rule for her students: she hopes their projects fail the first time. The St. Theresa School STEM teacher — one of only 27 educators selected for a competitive regional teacher program — says that's where real learning begins. And lately, it's leading somewhere pretty remarkable: her eighth graders are building a food pantry for the parish.
To learn more about Catholic education in the Diocese, visit www.hbgdiocese.org/catholic-schools
✝️ Diocese Honors Sisters Celebrating Anniversaries of Religious Profession
by Chris Heisey
Religious Sisters who are marking milestone anniversaries this year were honored during the annual Sisters’ Jubilee earlier this May in a tradition that celebrates their ministry and dedication.
Featured Events
✝️ Ordination to the Priesthood
Saturday, June 6th
🙏 Quo Vadis Days
Sunday, June 21st - Thursday, June 25th
🍀 Celtic Fling Mass
Sunday, June 28th
This June, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops invites Catholics across the country to pray a Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus from June 3–11.
The novena will culminate with the consecration of the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus as our nation marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
To help you participate in the novena, we are offering several ways to pray along each day. Each option includes the daily novena prayer, along with reflections and practical ways to live out the devotion. These reflections, prepared by the USCCB, draw from Pope Francis’ encyclical Dilexit Nos (“He Loved Us”) and Pope Leo XIV’s apostolic exhortation Dilexi Te (“I Have Loved You”).
The novena will culminate with the consecration of the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus as our nation marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
To help you participate in the novena, we are offering several ways to pray along each day. Each option includes the daily novena prayer, along with reflections and practical ways to live out the devotion. These reflections, prepared by the USCCB, draw from Pope Francis’ encyclical Dilexit Nos (“He Loved Us”) and Pope Leo XIV’s apostolic exhortation Dilexi Te (“I Have Loved You”).
You can participate in any of the following ways:
- Sign up to receive the daily novena prayers and reflections by email each morning
- Download the full novena PDF provided by the USCCB
Faith in Action is the Diocese of Harrisburg's monthly newsletter. Each month, we share a timely Scriptural reflection, a few key highlights from the previous month, upcoming Diocesan events, and more!
We pray these reflections and resources help you as you encounter Jesus Christ, and help others to encounter Jesus through you!